Room 418
by Umi-chii
Summary: That hotel room was their shared retreat, their only sanctuary from a harsh reality. For eight years, it remained such. Yet when problems from the outside world set off the balance, seeds of doubt grew and lies and secrets were made.


**Disclaimer: **Akira Amano owns Katekyo Hitman Reborn

**Prompt:** hotel – "There's a fine line between pleasure and business, and this hotel room isn't making the distinction any clearer."

**Pairing/Characters:** D18, Tsuna, Reborn, Kusakabe, Romario

**Rating:** NC-17

**Summary:** That hotel room was their shared retreat, their only sanctuary from a harsh reality, and for eight years, it remained such. Yet when problems from the outside world set off everything they'd painstakingly put in balance, seeds of doubt grew and lies and secrets were made.

_Written for Minibang 2010_

* * *

><p><strong>Room 418<strong>

_Dance with me._

His breath hitched, fingers clawing raw skin, blunt nails leaving red lines down a muscular chest.

He didn't plan it, didn't anticipate this.

He bit his bottom lip as he ground his hips down, pushing that rising chest down as he rode harder and harder until he had Cavallone struggling against his tight bind, the blue tie keeping those tainted limbs to the headboard.

He didn't like it, he didn't_want_this.

He panted, the only sign of response he ever gave as the rise and fall of his hips became erratic, nails digging into flesh, drawing blood. His back arched and with a silent cry, he came, riding out his orgasm as wildly as he fucked. Seconds later, warmth flooded his insides, drawing out a gasp from the man underneath him.

For seconds, he stared at Cavallone, at those closed eyes and wild, golden hair in disarray, thoughtless. Every night, the line only blurred. For how long could they still stand this?

His fists clenched in anger. He wanted to punch that damned face, just to see if he could get him out of his life. But he needed it, _this,_ and he was more than aware of this fact.

He only bit, hard, on Cavallone's shoulder, and when the man didn't say a word, letting him do as he pleased, his anger only became rage.

* * *

><p><em>I don't have forever to wait for you.<em>

Tightening the black tie-knot, Kyouya tilted his head to the side, making sure no evidences of the previous night was present, for if there was, retribution had to be arranged. Dino knew this, knew just how vicious and unforgiving the young man could be, but God knew he never worried. Death by Kyouya's teeth sounded better than anything else.

"Are you leaving already, Kyouya?"

Dino didn't look away from his laptop, and neither did Kyouya show any inclination he was listening. Seconds passed and when Kyouya still didn't look his way, Dino finally peeled his eyes away from the screen and watched the Vongola Cloud. He frowned as he noted the tension on Kyouya's back.

"Kyouya..."

"I'll call if I have more information," said Kyouya, cutting him off smoothly. "Don't get yourself bitten by the puppies."

Dino almost smiled fondly at that warning until he realized Kyouya had left without anything short of a goodbye, just the soft clicking of the door closing.

In the end, he could only gaze at the hotel door solemnly. "When will you accept me, Kyouya?" he found himself asking, only a faint whisper of the morning breeze answering him.

* * *

><p><em>If you want me to listen, just whisper.<em>

When Kyouya finally called, Dino didn't bother asking the young man for dinner. He just went straight to their hotel room, the usual, and divested himself of his coat and tie yet keeping his whip at his side. An hour later, Kyouya arrived, literally taking more than just his breath away, and after almost getting his nose dislocated, he managed to keep Kyouya down.

Dino couldn't stop himself from laughing gaily no matter how painful it was to his stomach. Even with a cut lip and a bleeding shoulder from where Kyouya mercilessly bit him, he was happy and content, feeling more at home than he ever was.

"Thank you," he said softly with a warm smile on his face, the sting on his cut lip nowhere in comparison with the feeling Kyouya's snarl brought. Who could ever think such a display of raw anger could make him so happy?

Kyouya only answered him by switching their position on the floor and another punch to his face. And when Kyouya finally found the bandaged wound just an inch below his right breast after ripping another shirt to shreds, a little dot of red staining the otherwise clear white gauze, Dino didn't know if he should be afraid or not when Kyouya bit his own lip, small, bony hands curling into fists so tight blood stained his nails, and kissed him hard enough that he tasted Kyouya's blood.

He returned the fervor with equal passion. As they both succumbed to each other's embrace, fingers intertwining, for once Dino basked in Kyouya's warmth as he let the young man climb on top him, for once being gentle without becoming too soft. He shuddered when a soft, pink tongue licked the spot under his wound.

When slender fingers slipped into his pants, sliding down the small of his back and teasing the skin there, rubbing so intimately, his hips bucked up. Once again, he let Kyouya take the reins, his eyes falling shot as he succumbed to the fleeting touches all over his body.

* * *

><p><em>I'll turn away so you can cry in peace.<em>

The call to meet up was very abrupt. The very instance Dino got out of the Ricci's mansion, he called Kyouya immediately for a meeting at the usual place. He didn't relay anything else but the need to see the young man. It was all he could do to hope that Kyouya would have the whims to humour him today.

"You _are _aware I am countries away," Kyouya simply said before hanging up on him. For the next ten seconds, it was hard for Dino to stop swearing his stupidity. So much for being subtle.

Two hours later, the door to his hotel room opened. He could barely get a greeting out before Kyouya wiped the smile off his face with a punch.

"Be thankful I am only citiesaway."

"Thank you, Kyouya," he whispered. He had another cut lip, and Romario would fuss again tomorrow, but for now, he just smiled and reached for Kyouya, hand cupping the back of Kyouya's neck to pull him down for a long, searing kiss.

With a soft lick, Dino parted those pouty lips with his tongue, and for a short while their tongues battled for dominance until finally, Kyouya let himself be plundered. It didn't take them long to move to the bed, clothes shedding one by one as Dino asserted himself on his former student, hands groping whatever they could touch.

They only parted when the need for air was too much to resist. Panting heavily, Dino supported both of his arms on either side of Kyouya's head. He stared down at Kyouya's glazed dark eyes.

Leaning down, he kissed one eye close, then the other, before trailing his lips down a cheek then to swollen lips. He took a short moment to taste every corner of Kyouya's mouth before leaving to move lower, tongue leaving a wet trail down a pale throat. He nipped on the juncture of Kyouya's neck and shoulder, earning an inaudible gasp from the young man beneath him.

"Kyouya..."

Strong hands pulled him up for a passionate kiss in reply.

Their bodies rocked together in sync, nothing particular in mind other than just to feel each other. All that mattered to them that night was to reassure each other they still had one another, and as Dino finally reached his peak, he clung to Kyouya so tight as if he would fall if he didn't.

Even when a single tear ran unchecked, he still held on without any thought of letting go. It wasn't until he felt a hand pushing his head down to bury against a pale, thin neck that he finally let the dam go.

* * *

><p><em>I wonder why you never get tired of me.<em>

He knew there was something wrong when he didn't receive a single call from Cavallone on the third day after he left that savage foreign land. After realizing he had such thought, hell went loose in the Foundation and his pet bird ended up taking refuge in the ever loyal Kusakabe's side. Not even the avian fellow could withstand the fury of Hibari Kyouya.

On the fourth day since he came back to his beloved homeland and no phone rang, his guts twisted in a way it never had. Not a single soul in the Foundation dared to step into his private halls after they all heard _something_ meeting its untimely demise.

It was only on the fifth day did he realize what he had been feeling was called _unease_, and when that stupid omnivore blatantly told him he was worried for pitiful Cavallone, he did nothing else but bit Yamamoto Takeshi to death.

Yet no matter how hard or how merciless he had beaten Yamamoto Takeshi to a mess of bloody pulp, he couldn't erase that feeling of unease settling inside of him, pulling every non-existing strings in his heart. This only infuriated him to no ends.

* * *

><p><em>Don't make me feel when all you can do is hurt me.<em>

Friday night, and instead of a dinner date with the lovely heiress of the Ricci family, Dino found himself thrown into a hotel room by an angry Kyouya. The young man's usually apathetic face was twisted into a snarl, a bloody tonfa on the other hand.

Dino vaguely noted the smear of blood staining Kyouya's collar. He could not stop himself from smiling mirthlessly. Someone wasn't happy, he mused.

Snarling again, Kyouya slammed the head of his tonfa against his face. All Dino could hope for was an intact nose.

"Ky—"

But he never made it to the end of Kyouya's name. He treasured his body, and he didn't really want to make Romario even more worried if he saw him tomorrow with a swollen face.

They tumbled into the bed, sheets kicked and thrown haphazardly away as expensive shirts were ripped off. The rattling of the buttons on the floor were as loud as Kyouya's growls and snarls, blunt nails digging too deep into his skin and angry teeth tearing his flesh. He didn't know what was bothering Kyouya, and even after letting Kyouya fucked him raw and hard, painful even, he still didn't know.

He just let Kyouya do as he pleased, because he knew it was the least he could do to appease the unease in his mind. Kyouya, after all, still had a one-track mind and Dino knew that if something ticked Kyouya off, he would always be, no matter how ridiculous, be the one responsible.

"Is this how you treat people?"

Frozen in shock, Dino stared at Kyouya with wide eyes.

"Kyouya, what—"

"I will not be _second, _Cavallone," Kyouya growled, each word punctuated with a hit. "It's your own problem, but don't drag me into it."

For a long while, they stared at each other in stalemate. Dino was too confused to think of anything else, too perplexed to make sense of Kyouya's words. When had he ever put Kyouya aside? Hadn't he been complying with each of Kyouya's whims, so much that it endangered his own reputation? When had he never compromised himself just for Kyouya?

"I hate you. I _loathe _you_._"

His heart stopped, caught in his throat.

"How could you say that with tears in your eyes?" he retorted, but no words came out as he grasped jutting hips tightly. A cold teardrop landed on his cheek, then another on the other side, before they continued like a rain. He could only choke in response as Kyouya kept slamming his fists against his chest, too strained to make it hurt.

And as night fell and they both cried themselves to sleep, all Dino could think was Kyouya's last word, a word that he never thought would matter so much.

He almost laughed in sardonic mirth now that he thought about it. In the end, all faults would still fall onto him.

_Why_, indeed.

* * *

><p><em>Doesn't this game get tiring for you?<em>

"Boss."

Brown eyes glanced up from the letter on hand.

Romario stood in front of his desk, hands clasped behind his back. Dino frowned when he noted the gloom on his right-hand man's appearance. Then his frown darkened when he realized he had been doing that quite a lot lately.

"The Simoni had just fired a warning shot at the Luchesse, Boss."

"Around or through us?"

"Around. They were careful enough to mind the border."

"Remain on alert. Let's see how the other side will retaliate."

He had to be careful in times like this. Caught in the middle of a war between his two neighbours, it would only put him in a dangerous position if he made the wrong move. He couldn't risk any of his men to get hurt. More importantly, it would be game over once the Cavallone step out of the shadows. Only if the Luchesse responded to the Simoni's warning shot by crossing the Cavallone's borders would he act. At least that way, he could have an alibi.

The fact that he already got personally involved simply because of his secret dealings with Ricci didn't help. If words reached the Vongola that it was his relationship with the outside family that had instigated this war, his position as Vongola's closest ally would only be endangered. It was already a miracle he managed to keep certain things, particularly the more delicate details of this strife, away from the Vongola's prying eyes, considering that both the Simoni and the Luchesse were under Vongola.

Direct confrontation with either of the two families had to be avoided as much as possible lest it made it seem he was taking sides. No one knew the Ricci were already involved right from the start, and Dino couldn't risk anything anymore now that he finally managed to procure the family's alliance by himself.

Until the bigger idiot between the two crossed the line, let him play the witness. At least doing so might humour him a little in a time like this.

* * *

><p><em>Just tell me when to stop, and I will.<em>

Romario swore he could hear the grinding of the boss's teeth as Dino glared at the messenger the Luchesse family sent. At thirty, Dino Cavallone had lost his touch of cheerfulness more than any man could ever possibly can. It only felt like yesterday when he would glance at his old friend's son every once and in a while and be greeted with a warm, sunlit smile.

Nowadays, all he could see was either a frown or nothing at all. Romario didn't know if this was what Reborn had meant of turning the Cavallone Decimo into a 'real man'.

"Those guys must be real idiots to send someone like him," Bono muttered, careful not to distract the boss from glaring at the poor man to death. "They should know the boss won't be happy."

"I thought they had already proven that when they crossed our turf," he answered. Rubbing the back of his neck, he stretched the kinks out a little bit before settling to watch his young boss, who was still killing the poor Luchesse messenger using his eyes alone.

_Odd. _That sight reminded him of a certain Japanese boy.

"You left me with no choice," the boss said. Romario knew very well what those words entailed. "Tell Don Luchesse not to expect the light of the day anymore if this matter isn't settled within the next three hours."

Beside him, Bono let out a heavy sigh. He guessed he wasn't the only one who missed the good, old days.

* * *

><p><em>I would've told you what's wrong if you'd ask.<em>

Hibari Kyouya knew something was wrong when he stepped off the boat. There was a wretched stench permeating the air, and it made Hibird dizzy as he felt the bird stumble on his shoulder. That alone told him this wasn't something to be overlooked.

When he neared the exit of the pier, the stench becoming fouler with each step, he was already about to bite someone to death.

That someone unluckily happened to be an herbivore from Cavallone.

"Boss is—"

He didn't bother to hear the rest as he stepped into the car without a word. He was more worried with Hibird's sickly pallor. For that Cavallone to skip the chance of seeing him first after so many months, something must have happened.

After all these years of being used to Cavallone crushing him in a suffocating embrace as a greeting, he should know already.

It didn't take Hibari too long to realize this, and when he sighted Cavallone sleeping on the king sized bed in their usual hotel room, a tattooed arm over probably tired eyes, Hibari's annoyance only grew.

Closing the door softly, he approached the bed in calculated steps. Only when he was finally beside the bed did he let his mind wander as he stared at the obvious signs of stress all over his former tutor. Even with half of his face covered, Cavallone looked like a sight for sore eyes. That alone dissipated the contempt in him, though it would still take him more than ten lifetimes to fully admit he was moved by the sight.

"And you said I was reckless," Hibari said silently.

Cavallone didn't stir from his deep slumber, not even when Hibird suddenly chirped to announce he'd fully recovered.

For once, Hibari didn't do a thing but just lie down, coat and tie already hanging on the back of a chair, and embrace the warm, tired body, knowing the man needed this rare form of comfort more than him.

* * *

><p><em>You don't always have to be in control.<em>

Dino woke up to the sound of the running shower. The spot beside him was empty but warm. It took him another minute to fully realize Kyouya didn't actually leave the room yet.

"That's a change," he chuckled to himself, only to jerk back when he came to a startling realization. He immediately lurched forward and grasped the bathroom's doorknob, twisting it violently. He almost gasped when steam hit him in the face the moment he opened the door.

He could feel his heart ramming madly in his chest as he stared at Kyouya's still silhouette behind the shower curtain. He vaguely noticed Hibird nestled fittingly in the hotel's standard white towel.

His breath caught when the curtain was pulled aside and Kyouya narrowed his eyes and snarled murderously at him.

"What do you think are you doing, you herbivore?"

"I didn't know you would come."

"We still have business to discuss."

"Am I forgiven?" he almost asked. Thinking it might only trigger the opposite, he instead said, "You should've waked me up."

Kyouya scoffed loudly at that. He almost looked adorable with those pouting bowed lips. He could almost hear the silent chanting of threats going on inside Kyouya's head. The thought alone made him laugh.

The curtain was pulled back almost immediately, and it only made him laugh even harder.

"Don't make me bite you to death, Cavallone," Kyouya's threatening voice resounded beyond the sound of the water.

"_Bite!__Bite!__"_ the tiny, yellow bird twitted in its sharp voice. Patting the bird softly on its head, Dino turned and returned to their room with a happy smile. He should get breakfast ready before Kyouya finished his shower.

Sighing, Dino closed the door softly and called for room service, all the while thinking wistfully of Kyouya. It had been so long already since they had their last shared laugh.

* * *

><p><em>Why don't we start over again, sunshine?<em>

Romario thought they looked like the perfect domestic couple cut out straight from a family magazine when he entered the boss' hotel room to bring in the morning's report. He almost left the room just to check if he entered the right one.

"Ah, good morning, Romario," the boss greeted him with a bright smile. The sight alone slackened his jaw. Wasn't it just yesterday when the boss ordered annihilation of half of the Luchesse in cold blood?

"Morning, Boss," he greeted back suspiciously. He quickly smiled heartily when he caught the Vongola Cloud's narrowed stare, questioning his lack of enthusiasm.

For a short while, Romario found it unbelievable that Hibari Kyouya would be the one to put their boss back in track.

He acknowledged Hibari with a curt nod. Taking position behind Dino, Romario paid the rest of his attention on the conversation between the boss and the Vongola Cloud.

The two working together, behind the back of Mr. Sawada even, had become a sort of routine for them, sometimes even a game. This matter concerning the feud between the Simoni and the Luchesse was no different. The boss didn't hesitate to ask Hibari for help when direct confrontation with either family seemed implausible.

Only that, of course, Hibari didn't know the truth behind his boss's need for help. Romario was just grateful that though the leader might not be _that_enthusiastic about it, the members of the Foundation were at least more than willing to help.

For years, the Simoni had been experimenting on a substance known as the black blood. The only information they managed to obtain, even with the Foundation's intelligence help, was only limited to the contents of the substance: a mixture of the Dying Will flame and a special kind of blood that they still had to know more about. Even with leaked information from the inside, they still couldn't acquire anything more than what they already knew.

All they were aware of was that this so-called black blood was of great importance, enough to make the Luchesse break the status quo between the two families by provoking the Simoni.

The Luchesse wanted something from the Simoni, and they were all sure that _something_ had to be the black blood. The Luchesse always had some kind of fixation with neighbouring families' secret projects. They were the nosy family in this motley alliance, Romario mused. He could remember Don Luchesse's shameless proposal for an alliance just so they could get nearer to the Vongola and be shared with the knowledge of the Dying Will flames.

Dino had blatantly refused the alliance when he had figured out the Luchesse's ulterior motive. They were, after all, neighbours right from the start yet never once had the Luchesse ever considered forming an alliance with the Cavallone. Dino still believed it was just reasonable of him to doubt the Luchesse's sincerity—or the lack thereof.

In the end, the Luchesse went straight to Vongola, and the Cavallone had to suffer a round of embarrassment when the Vongola Decimo gladly welcomed the power-hungry family.

Things went from stale to bad since then. The Cavallone's behind-the-back dealings increased, and Hibari Kyouya became even more involved than he originally had been. It almost felt like the boss was using his relationship with Hibari just to further whatever goal he had in mind.

Watching the boss's facial expression, Romario assumed things only went from bad to worse. Then he noticed the boss holding a vial of some dark liquid. It wouldn't take a genius to know what that was.

"The Luchesse are desperate to have the last of the black blood now that the Simoni had destroyed all of their supplies. We need to know why they're so bent on obtaining this," said Dino.

Hibari only shrugged in agreement.

With a sigh, the Vongola's Cloud Guardian stood up and donned on his coat.

Startled, Dino set down his coffee, eyes following Hibari's lazy movements.

"Are you leaving already, Kyouya?"

"I'll call if something happens. I don't have time to deal with herbivores."

A soft click from the door signalled Hibari's silent leave. One look at the boss's crestfallen face already proved how dejected he felt. "Don't you think we should consider the Vongola's judgment on this, Boss?" he asked softly.

Shaking his head, Dino reached for his coffee before setting it down again after a sip.

"Our involvement in this is personal, Romario. It is best for Tsuna not to know. After all, it's because of our connection with the Ricci that started this whole thing. Once Tsuna knows... it won't be long for Kyouya to get a wind of it as well."

"But don't you think he already knows?"

"All he knows is that date was purely for business. I doubt he'll continue believing that though once rumours of the engagement start spreading."

"You might only make matters worse if you keep this hidden, Dino."

Dino glanced up at him with a quizzical look on his face. Romario made it certain that he only addresses the boss by his Christian name when he's either serious or speaking in a personal level. Yet it still boiled down to the fact that he was simply concerned not just as the right-hand man but also as a friend. Romario had always been his closest friend, he reckoned, since he was a child.

The boss was silent for a long while. He returned to his coffee, eyes distant as he drew back to his own world.

Holding back a deep sigh, Romario turned away and glanced at the grey, cloudy sky outside. Rain was just around the corner.

After what felt like hours, Dino broke the silence with a soft sigh.

"Have I dug my own grave, Romario?"

"We have Hibari Kyouya involved."

A corner of the boss's lips quirked. Following his line of sight, Dino gazed at the sky as well with a forlorn smile.

"Don't we always."

* * *

><p><em>Your actions do not affect you alone.<em>

Smoke billowed from the remnants of the once magnificent mansion of the Luchesse. Not a soul remained in the area. _This_, Tetsu thought, must be how the Cavallone truly functions. A bit surprising to see their handiworks firsthand, considering that he knew Dino Cavallone as a man who'd rather fly all the way to Japan and fool around with Kyo-san than work.

Spitting the blade of grass, Tetsu trudged into the mansion from the back, kicking away broken glasses scattered over the marble-tiled floor.

Mansion blueprint in mind, he went straight to the late Don Luchesse's study. The doors were blasted off the hinges, the large desk he presumed to be where the leader works broken in half. It'd be a miracle if there were survivors other than those who'd managed to escape. Not a single thing remained intact; everything was destroyed beyond repair.

Pulling out each of the drawer (or what was left), Tetsu began searching for anything that could give them a lead. Hours passed and yet he still had to find something worthwhile. He was about to give up on the study when a painting to the far left of the large room caught his eyes. Tetsu couldn't help but think of the countless crime movies he watched when he was young, of rich, old men hiding their greatest treasures in a painting-covered vault.

What might be the perfect replica of Picasso's The Scream was now just a tattered canvas, its frame cracked. No matter how strong Tetsu tried to pull the painting off the wall, it remained attached. He tried touching the frame's underside, groping around for any kind of hidden switch, but when his fingers only touched gold-plated plastic, he gave up and went to search for some tool that could help unhook the painting.

Then his eyes landed on a Venus de Milo with arms. Eyebrow quirking on its own accord, Tetsu went to it immediately. It almost made him laugh when the arms only twisted in one direction. Something akin to creaking sounded behind him, and as Tetsu turned around to face the painting, he could only shake his head. He didn't exactly know if he was frustrated or amused.

The painting remained intact on the wall. The creaking came from it all right, and he was sure there was some sort of mechanism behind it. But there was no vault, no hidden treasure. The painting was nothing but just a display.

Maybe he should stop watching those detective movies.

Turning back to sculpture, Tetsu was about to give the arms another go when he realized the sculpture had just _moved_while his back was turned, and there was a square hole as broad as his shoulders on the floor.

He _really _should stop watching old detective movies.

With a sigh, Tetsu pulled his coat tighter against him, silently praying that his coat would at least get out of this unscathed. This was his lucky pair. And then he climbed down the rusty, rickety ladder.

* * *

><p><em>I only answer to myself.<em>

The otherwise peaceful tea ceremony was disturbed by Tetsu's presence. Hibari was pouring himself a cup of tea when his return from the Luchesse mansion was announced.

"Enter," he ordered softly. Screen door pushed aside, Tetsu entered the Foundation's most private quarters, his head bowed.

"Suspicion confirmed, Kyo-san," Tetsu said sombrely.

Frowning, Hibari set aside the teapot and turned to face his right-hand man.

"Where is it?"

Tetsu brought out a small box, ornately decorated with gold, the pattern of vines curling to form the Luchesse's rose insignia. It was the only one left of its kind. The Luchesse were smart to hide the successful one instead of the prototype.

Then he thought of Cavallone and what that man would do if this fell to the Bucking Horse's hands.

"Anything new about the Ricci?"

"None, Kyo-san."

Hibari's frown pulled lower. That wasn't what he wanted to hear. He needed to know what was going on behind the curtains between the Cavallone and the Ricci. Both families were brewing something together, and he needed to _know_. Vongola knew nothing about this matter, and it irked him that once again, Dino Cavallone was hiding something from him, his precious _Kyouya._

Snarling, his mood darkened as he ordered Tetsu to keep the box hidden away. Let them all think nothing truly remained in the Luchesse. Let Cavallone think how foolish he was to be so rash with his actions. Let him _believe_his darling _Kyouya_ was still clueless.

* * *

><p><em>It's been eight years and all you can think of is to bring me down.<em>

Dino wasted no time to answer to the Ricci's summon. He didn't expect his proposal would have its answer that fast. _Too__fast_, he almost told Romario when they entered the Ricci's humble abode.

Without the luxury of a tour of the mansion, they were ushered to Don Leonardo Ricci's study where the don himself was resting on a couch. His daughter, Claire, was behind the don's desk sorting through papers.

Dino's eyebrows shot up as his eyes met with the heiress's sharp ones. They were too familiar, too similar to a certain someone he shouldn't be thinking of in such a place.

"I believe you have your answer now?"

He didn't know if it was true, but he felt like he had croaked the question out. His throat felt dry; too dry for comfort.

The dying (well, he had to be, Dino thought) Don Leonardo only nodded. Glancing back at the heiress, looking grim in her black, tailored suit, Dino knew his advisers would finally stop pestering him after so many years. The woman had the qualifications, and she definitely met his standards though he would need to do some adjusting.

"Thank you," he simply said to both as he bowed slightly. "It is, I assure you, the best decision to make in a time like this."

Sighing, Claire Ricci looked away. "I hope it is, Cavallone. I hope it is."

Both didn't say a word nor do a thing for the next few minutes. His presence was too imposing, and he knew both of the two Riccis were too wary of him, too careful to show them anything else beyond their apparent weakness.

A marriage proposal with the Ricci was the only way to go between them. Their don was dying, their heiress too busy dealing with the debts leftover from their ancestors. Dino needed a wife so he can finally have his own heir, and the only remaining family with the purest bloodline outside Vongola's web of alliance was the Ricci.

He would have settled for someone in Vongola's influence, knowing that at least that way Tsuna would be able to keep Kyouya in a leash in case the Cloud guardian suddenly got vindictive. Not that Kyouya didn't see a future of _them_separated, of course. They both knew very well Dino needed an heir, and he needed one soon.

But that wasn't truly the case. He thought and pondered about it for so long during lonely nights, and the only conclusion he came to was that Kyouya didn't really care, so he shouldn't be mulling over it so much. He had broached the topic more than once, and though all he got was a punch to the face and a mutter of 'herbivore', there was nothing else. They still meet up occasionally in their hotel room, still fuck and have sex and make love until early in the morning and Kyouya still had to say a word about their future.

Well, he wasn't turning any younger, and time had no intention of taking a break.

He would start worrying once the engagement become official.

"If you don't mind, I should take my leave now."

"Leaving so soon?"

He raised his palm up to stop the Ricci's heiress from standing up. Smiling softly, he turned halfway and pointed at his watch. "I still have another meeting in an hour. I'll visit you properly next week."

Nodding, Claire sat down again, albeit slower. "Take care." She bid him goodbye.

Dino escorted himself out of the house, his men trailing behind like shadows.

As the door closed, so did his heart. Then everything else happened too fast, so fast it seemed to pass in a blur as everyone around him broke into panic. He gasped, and all he could feel was the spreading wetness in his chest. Everyone around him were yelling and shooting, strong hands grabbing his arms, shoulders, anything that could be touched to pull him down and into safety. His vision dimmed, and soon, he saw nothing but black and red, the droning, thrumming of pain fading away with his consciousness.

* * *

><p><em>Do remind me. Who owns you?<em>

Five years in the throne and Tsuna still had to fully get used to the workings of the Mafia. One thing he had learned though, despite Reborn's rather sadistic, painful ways, was to mind his own business.

The rising tension between the Simoni and the Luchesse was brought to light when Dino dropped by last week, asking him about the safety of accepting the Luchesse as one of Vongola's allies. Admittedly, Tsuna was too busy figuring out why the Vongola's financial figures were dropping to fully hear Dino out. It must have shown, his lack of attentiveness, since Dino had promptly told him afterwards he had to get back and deal with _this__mess_ on his own.

Tsuna still blamed himself for the now on-going war between the Simoni and the Luchesse, with the Cavallone stuck in-between. Reborn also blamed him for it and made it his new duty to constantly remind him of his mistake by shooting him sporadically, particularly during dinner times. (It was a wonder Kyoko still found it strange he had suddenly taken to eating dinner in the bedroom.)

It had been two days already since the Cavallone were ambushed right outside the Ricci's door—two days since Dino fell into comatose. The guilt overriding his heart only grew, suspicion and doubt planted around the corners. He didn't want to know just who or what he doubted; he was too afraid to know.

"Are you done moping?"

Pouting, Tsuna turned to glare at Reborn. At least he can finally do it wholeheartedly without getting shot.

"I'm thinking."

"That isn't going to give us the answers we need."

"But it might help," he whispered. A pregnant pause followed before Reborn asked him for his thoughts. Something, no matter how small or silly, is always better than nothing.

"Why didn't Dino tell us _anything _about the Ricci?"

"That's a question, not an answer nor a guess," Reborn scolded him with a smack to his head. "Tell me something new, why don't you."

"Where are the people of the Ricci _famiglia_ then? Two days and I still have to see a single person from that family visit Dino. Why are they keeping mum about _this_?"

"They won't be for long," said Reborn. Seeing the smirk on the dangerous hitman's face, Tsuna paled immediately as thousands of equally dangerous scenarios ran in his head.

Sucking in a deep break, Tsuna dared himself to ask what sort of monster his tutor had let loose this time.

Reborn only tipped his fedora down, yet despite the shadows covering half of the man's face, Tsuna could never forget that evil glint in Reborn's eyes.

* * *

><p><em>It is already a crime that you turned my heart into a battlefield.<em>

The reservation fee for their usual room had only gone to waste the moment Tsuna called him the other night about that stupid _idiot_ getting shot.

Hibari was more furious at the effort of reserving the room going to waste rather than Cavallone getting hurt. Every fine detail of his plan for the night turned into ashes as news of 'getting hurt' became 'in coma'. With Cavallone unconscious, it'd be useless for him to seriously bite the man to his death.

Facing the baby with a dark scowl, Hibari wondered what the shady man had in mind other than sending him out to deal with this mess. With their boss down, the Cavallone couldn't function properly. It was up to them, the Vongola, to make sure that their closest ally wouldn't succumb to chaos, especially one brought from the inner court.

Too bad it was left to Hibari Kyouya to handle the mission.

"Is it official?" he asked the famed hitman.

Smirking, Reborn shook his head. "I'll let Tsuna know. If I remember it later."

Hibari grinned back, his fingers itching for the grasp of his tonfas' handles. He missed the feeling of cold steel biting the warmth of his hands, sweat collection in the lines of his palms as blood stained every inch of his tonfas.

He was more than glad to use this chance as an excuse to dance in blood. The lack of a now unconscious Dino Cavallone kept him from doing anything violent.

"Blame Cavallone if it got too much for Sawada to bear."

The baby chuckled before tossing him a gun. Scowling at it, Hibari threw the gun away like a toy.

"He'll find a way around it. Don't worry."

"I'm not," he retorted with a scoff.

Leaving the hitman's apartment in slow, lazy steps, Hibari began preparations for tonight's grand feast. The Foundation would definitely be more than glad to finally have something more engaging than collecting news to do.

* * *

><p><em>I did this not for you but for my own satisfaction.<em>

Fires ablaze, the Ricci household met its demise that night as walls were torn down, screams ricocheting in tandem with the firing of guns. No one within the four corners of the Ricci estate was spared from Hibari Kyouya's deadly tonfas.

A long hallway of wasted splendor stretched onward leading to the Ricci's study. Hibari went straight for the pair of ornately carved doors at the end of the corridor, mind preoccupied with murderous thoughts as his steps casually overstepped the sea of groaning bodies. The predator instinct told him without a shred of doubt it was it. It had to be.

Tonfas raised, the Vongola Cloud charged in, blood roaring in his ears, brought by the adrenaline rush and the heady scent of blood in his nostrils.

Kicking the doors down, Hibari charged into the room, arms raised and tonfas poised, only to see nothing but burning red, all expectations prepared by his stalwart mind crushing down on the few remaining patience left in him as he stared at the small and slender figure of Claire Ricci who was kneeling next to a bullet-smashed window.

She had a gun aimed right at him, her dark eyes narrowed. Yet no matter how hard she tried to hide it, he could see the growing trepidation in her eyes, the hand clutching the gun in a tight grip shaking.

He noticed first the petite figure, then short yet proud stature, the shaggy, dark hair and cat-like eyes. Like puzzle pieces falling into their rightful places, Hibari finally realized _why_, the whole picture becoming too clear all of a sudden_._

"This is your doing," she simply said. She knew who he was, knew what he wanted, and she feared him like how she feared death. "Where is he?"

That crisp voice only made him see more red, her perceived closeness to that_ stupid _herbivoreonly infuriating him to the point of madness.

He moved the moment she did, his arms pulling back for a hit as her hunched form sprang forward. They clashed like raging storms, his anger and her pride colliding with so much force. But her initiative was no match to his swiftness; neither was it to the brute force of his strike.

Mercilessly, he tossed her out of the room like a ragdoll, startling Tetsu and his men who were waiting for him outside the large study.

"Bring her to Vongola," he snappily ordered before storming out of the room and deeper into the hallway.

His right-hand man could only stare back at him dumbly with a curt nod before picking the poor lady up like a sack.

And the squall that had become of Hibari Kyouya continued onward, the rage too strong to be held back. If Cavallone thought he could win this game without even letting him move _his _pawn, then he had just made his biggest mistake. No one is allowed to plot behind Hibari Kyouya's back, not even _his _Dino Cavallone, and not especially that pathetic woman as well.

Did that bastard really thought he wouldn't realize? Thought he wouldn't raise a finger about this matter? It was plain as daylight, and it irked him even more when he realized Cavallone must have thought of him as too ignorant or uncaring. Those physical similarities, the air that woman carried around her, even if it was nothing compared to his own—Hibari _knew _without a single doubt_._ Cavallone planned to use her as a substitute in this twisted relationship of theirs, and this bothered Hibari more than he'd like to admit. It wouldn't take a genius to figure things out, not when rumours of Cavallone getting engaged was spreading like wildfire.

_What did he take me for_, he almost screamed at his men if he was a lesser man with no control over his composure. But he reined in his own wrathful self. He swore to himself he'd never let Cavallone get the better of him. Not anymore.

Hibari Kyouya knew, and his anger was so much that he personally rained his wrath on every living thing in his path, and it was all his followers could do to avoid him and let him be. Nothing else but revenge could stop him.

* * *

><p><em>No matter how he acts, he is still human.<em>

"You do know that if you don't start talking now, you'll be charged of treason and your family will be ostracized without pardon. Don't you, Dino?"

Tsuna winced mentally at his tutor's biting tone. Obviously they wouldn't go _that_far, but sometimes, Reborn was just too merciless with his choice of words.

Withholding a shaky breath, Tsuna willed himself to calm down and donned on his The Tenth face, as Gokudera liked to call it. "For both of our sakes, please, Dino-san, just tell us what is going on," he wanted to say if it wasn't for Reborn's smoldering gaze. He wanted to reach out and just be their old selves, dropping the pretence of diplomacy their duties demanded. Instead, he simply asked, "Is there something you'd like to tell us, Dino-san?"

The man on the hospital bed was silent, staring distantly at the wall across him. The sight only made Tsuna feel worse, the growing headache behind his eyelids distracting him from focus.

"Don't make this even more difficult than necessary," Reborn warned. Tsuna had the feeling he wouldn't like wherever Reborn was stirring this conversation to.

Warm, brown eyes flickered for the shortest while before the life disappeared all too quickly. At least there seemed to be progress, Tsuna thought. He wouldn't like turning to his Cloud guardian for help.

The deafening silence was too much to bear that Tsuna's patience finally snapped. With a disgruntled huff, he stood from his seat and abruptly turned for the door, the weight of his tutor's gaze heavy on his back.

"Until you finally wish to share with us your insecurities, the Vongola is pulling back every arm the Cavallone borrowed."

There was a very noisy buzz in his head that kept pushing his headache to the front again, and until the door behind him closed with a sounding click, Tsuna didn't think nor utter a single word. His eyes were staring at the sterile floor, the separations of the tiles so symbolic of what they had become.

"I did not expect that."

Tsuna frowned. "You call me weak and pathetic when I hesitate. Now that I dare to act, you'd criticize me as well. Just what do you want from me?"

The hitman just kept quiet with the merest hint of amusement on his eyes. Moments later, when the silence became too stifling, Reborn let out a small chuckle. "I wasn't criticizing you."

"It sounded like it."

"Now you're being paranoid."

"I'm not paranoid!" he almost snapped if it was''t for someone familiar from the other end of the hallway calling his title loudly, running towards them in panic. Annoyance disappeared when Tsuna realized he was a messenger from the Foundation, the signature pompadour just an inch shorter than Kusakabe's.

"Kyo-san! Kyo-san—he..."

Another one of the former-disciplinarian-turned-Foundation member ran towards them. Tsuna noticed with an internal groan the limp body on his arms.

_You've got to be kidding me..._

"The lady of the Ricci famiglia," Reborn confirmed with a slight nod of his head.

Tsuna asked for their leader's presence instead. He had a bad feeling his Cloud guardian might be up to no good, especially if this was one of his 'disciplinary actions'

The two of them shared a worried glance. Neither could reply. _I knew it! _Tsuna thought with rising dread. Trust Hibari to ruin everything he had carefully planned.

"Take the lady to somewhere safe," he instructed first, eyeing the unconscious body cautiously. He quickly added, "use the Vongola hideout. Gokudera-kun will assist you."

"It would also be best if we find Hibari now before he does anymore damage," Reborn said. Tsuna nodded in agreement. A part of him, the stubborn student in him, only resented his tutor even more for causing all this havoc.

Fixing the remaining Foundation member left with a levelled stare, Tsuna ordered him to keep their leader in control in his sternest voice.

"Hibari-san is not allowed to do anything more within the Ricci estate. He _must _pull out ASAP. This is an order from the Vongola Decimo."

It was all he could hope for, that his Cloud guardian learn a sympathetic bone in his body and learn how to feel for others.

* * *

><p><em>You know I cannot keep promises, but I want you to know I do try.<em>

Slacks-clad legs strode down the sterile hallway urgently, each step growing with anger-disguised anxiety.

Hibari Kyouya slammed the door to Cavallone's ward open, mindless of the recuperating man. He seethed in anger at the sight of him, helpless and defenceless on the hospital bed.

"You lied."

Two simple words, enough to shake both of their own worlds. Cavallone looked at him in bewilderment.

"Kyouya, what..."

"You know what I'm talking about," he snapped coldly.

Both remained in silence, burning each other down with stubborn gazes. It was Hibari who finally snapped, as always.

"You lying, conniving, two-faced _bastard_."

Cavallone scoffed loudly at the accusation, enough to raise Hibari's hackles.

"You always demand the greatest from me, and now that I gave it to you, you go about and ruin everything for your own self-satisfaction."

"Oh, so now _I'm _the one at fault," Dino refuted, the repressed anger in him finally unfolding with each word flying out of his mouth uncontrollably. "You're the self-serving bastard here! I'm already at the ends of my sanity and you don't even have the decency to give a damn. I don't even know anymore what I see in you that... that..."

Dino trailed away, the fire in his eyes doused as fast as it had ignited.

"That what?" Hibari filled in, his tone so cold it spoke volumes for his own disappointment at Bucking Horse. After all these years, and this was what they had stumbled into in the end, locked in a stalemate, neither of them willing to budge—to make the sacrifice.

"I..."

Dino's mouth opened, grasping for the right word to say, but his mind was too empty, too caught up with itself that it couldn't find _anything _useful at all. Everything he had in mind would only aggravate Kyouya and worsen the situation even more. He could barely think of a word to salvage what few pieces remained of their relationship.

Finally, unable to take it anymore, Hibari turned away and pulled the hospital door open.

"You're more than just an herbivore, Cavallone."

He heard the sudden hitch of breath from the Italian, could tell that Cavallone was doing everything in his power not to jump off the bed and run to him and just swallow his pride and ask for forgiveness. Yet he also knew that sorry will never be enough, not when deceit and lies was the mistake.

He closed the door with a firmness he had never possessed, the sound echoing in his heart.

* * *

><p><em>How could you let those years end in vain?<em>

Romario sighed loudly before refilling his glass of whiskey. Only in rare times does he allow himself a good glass, and this time count for one. The number of Vongola and Cavallone, including those that formerly were of Ricci, bodyguards stationed all around the perimeter of the Cavallone estate was enough to keep the Italian military at bay.

"Cavallone-san had never truly smiled since that day."

He looked over his shoulder at the sound of the voice. Kusakabe stood by his side, as solemn as he ever was. He nodded in greeting.

"I haven't seen you in a long time. How is yours holding up?" he asked casually, referring to the Vongola Cloud with a raise of a glass of whiskey. The younger man sighed heavily in answer, as if all the stress these past six months were let out in just one breath.

"Never been worse," was the curt reply. Romario chuckled softly, suggesting the young man might as well get himself a drink tonight while there was still a chance.

For another while, both were silent as they observed the party. The new, blooming bride—his new, blooming _lady boss_ was smiling with each greeting and congratulation from the guests as she held onto the boss's arm, unwilling to let go. In fear of what, he didn't want to think about.

"Does this count as a happy ending?" Kusakabe faintly asked him.

Romario didn't look away from the couple at the head of the ballroom. He just shook his glass, before tipping the rest of the contest down his throat, swallowing the burning content. _For them?_

He gave the empty whiskey glass to a passing waiter and straightened up his attire.

"Most probably."

* * *

><p><em>Even I, too, can be weak.<em>

The wind blew softly, morning air from the salty sea wafting the dark, choppy hair.

He shouldn't have come. That way, he wouldn't have to waste a plane ticket only to leave before the party even started and then book an expensive hotel room just to cry in the corner of its all-too-familiar bathroom.

_This __is __stupid_. He was Hibari Kyouya—_the_Hibari Kyouya, yet there he was, huddled in the corner of a hotel bathroom, curled like a sulking child and ripping the pillows to shreds as he poured all his anger and resentment onto the poor yet expensive material.

_This __isn__'__t __right_. He never put so much thought into something so baseless, never gave anything such attention, yet it was given anyway and there was nothing he could do about it. For once, Hibari wished he wasn't human enough to feel such emotions, because it just _hurt_. He wasn't being Hibari Kyouya anymore, and he definitely wasn't being _himself_.

He should get out; leave this place. The party was being held in this bloody place after all, and there'd be thousands of useless herbivores and their even more useless spawns crowding in the whole place. He might as well get out of the way before he caused a commotion that not even the baby will tolerate.

Hibari paused at that thought. When had he started giving a damn about what others think of him? This was so unbecoming of him. He was already an _adult_.

Now even angrier, Hibari stormed out of the hotel, the car Tetsu had specially rented for him in mind. Yet on his way there, his long, hurrying strides was interrupted as a small, lean body slammed against his legs, causing him to falter slightly. With an angry glare, his eyes snapped to the tiny nuisance that was currently extracting itself off his legs.

Then he felt his heart stopped as he stared at Eduardo Cavallone with wide eyes, narrowing quickly a second after to glare at the child. He felt his heart clench tightly when the little spawn of the bastard looked up at him with innocent blue eyes, the gaze and everything else about _it_ all too familiar to him.

"Sorry," the boy simply apologized, eyes still blinking wide in that childish way. The Italian accent was heavy, even for a child, much to his great dislike. It reminded him of something he'd rather not recall. "Please don't tell anyone I'm here. Papa—" Hibari shivered internally at the sound of that word, the foreignness of it too much to bear, yet too close to forget, "does not like it if I go out without Bono. The party is too boring. Do you also find it boring? What's your name? I'm Eduardo, but you can call me Ed. Everybody does."

_Too similar to him. Does not even know the meaning of personal space. _

"Your father is just beyond that hallway," Hibari told the child, who jolted in alarm like a crook caught in the act. And then miniscule pest ran past him, turning only to hide behind a tall chair before pulling something out of his coat and tinker away with it.

Must be very spoiled and pampered by his parent—at least this particular fact he knew, the death of the _wife _too big of an issue to ignore.

Pulling his gaze away, Hibari turned back to the parking lot, his steps picking up his previous pace, as he stepped out of the hotel, all businesses settled and over.

* * *

><p><em>Nothing in this world is absolute, and so is this.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Note: <strong>In case you're wondering, those one-liners are all inside thoughts, like little confessions of whoever's POV the scene following was set._  
><em>


End file.
